Report to Senate Finance Committee: Subcommittees on Health and Human - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Report to Senate Finance Committee:

Subcommittees on Health and Human Resources and Education

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

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Updated Child Count Statistics for 2009

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2007‐2009 Child Count Trends

* Note: Students with ASD represented 6.08% of the overall children receiving special education services in 2009, which is an increase from 5.2% in 2008

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2009 Child Count by Age

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ASD by Gender:2009

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ASD By Race: 2009

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Accomplished to Date: Eligibility

• Eligibility criteria for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders included in

new state special education regulations

– Published Eligibility Guidelines and Autism Spectrum Disorders Eligibility Worksheet

• Autism Diagnostic and Observation Schedule (ADOS) Training

– “Gold standard” in assessment and evaluation of individuals with ASD – Regional Trainings

• Northern Virginia (Loudoun)

– April 12, 2010

• Central Virginia (Richmond)

– May 17, 2010

• Southwest Virginia (Abingdon)

– July 21, 2010

• Eastern Virginia (Norfolk)

– July 28, 2010

– Each Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) has a ADOS kit for loan and use by local school divisions

Accomplished to Date: Products

Ready for Dissemination for 2010‐2011 School Year:

• Guidelines for Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Transition Guide for Students with Autism Spectrum

Disorders

• Parents Guide for Students with Autism Spectrum

Disorders

• Developing Model Programs for students with

Autism Spectrum Disorders

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ASD Guidelines

• Focus Areas

– Foundational Competencies

• Definition and Characteristics

– Special Education Process

• Identification, Referral, Evaluation and Eligibility

– Providing an Effective Education

• Educational Goals, Interventions, Curriculum, Services and Support

– Considerations in Educational Programming

• Early Intervention, Assistive Technology, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and

Environment

– Professional Collaboration – Family Involvement – Professional Development

• Training Topics and Creating Professional Development
• Resources

– Development of Effective Individualized Education Program – Instructional Strategies – Diagnostic Tools – Data Driven Assessment

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Transition Guidelines

• Focus Areas

– Characteristics of Excellent Transition Programs – Transition Team Composition – Transition Assessment for Students with Autism – Educational and Transition Planning – Instruction for Transition Age Youth with Autism in Natural Environments – Addressing Challenging Behavior through Positive Behavior Support – Navigating the World of Adult Services – Postsecondary Education – Workplace Challenges and Supports – Home Living Skills – Recreation and Leisure Skills – Social Security and Benefits Planning

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Parent’s Guide to ASD

• Focus Areas

– Description of Autism

• Educational Definition
• Impact on Autism on Learning
• Recognizing the Needs of Individuals with Autism

– The Educational Process

• Assessing Individual’s Needs
• Identifying Curriculum
• Individualized Education Program Process

– Life with Autism at Home and in the Community

• Communicating and Collaborating with Private Providers and School Staff
• Implementing Positive Behavior Supports at Home and School
• Building Communication Skills
• Encouraging Social Interaction
• Evaluating Cost versus Risk of Other Non‐School Based Treatments
• Resources

– Parent Resource Centers (PRC) – Training and Technical Assistance Centers Website (TTAC Online) – Special Education Advisory Committee (State and Local Levels) – Due Process and Mediation Procedures – Parent Educational Advocacy Training Centers (PEATC)

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ASD Model Program Guide

• Focus Areas

– Foundational Competencies

• Educational Definition
• Goals of Education and Intervention
• Models of Best Practice
• Comprehensive Curriculum

– Providing an Effective Education

• Understanding Autism
• Focus Areas for Education Intervention
• Educational Environment
• Organization and Structure
• Curriculum Framework
• Assessment Framework and Procedures
• Goal Development
• Instructional Strategies and Considerations
• Addressing Interfering Behavior

– Collaboration with the Educational Team

• Team Meetings, Family Members, Related Service Personnel and Paraprofessionals

– Case Studies

• Descriptive Examples to demonstrate Curricular Considerations and Effective Instructional Planning,

Implementation and Evaluation

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Accomplished to Date: Virginia Autism Council (VAC)

• Provide incentives for special and general education teachers to complete autism

certificate coursework

– Increased tuition reimbursement support for teachers ($70,000) – Ten community colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth

• Revision of VAC Competencies

– Inclusion of recent research (National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, National Autism Centers National Standards Report, etc.) – Greater behavioral focus

• Inclusion of terminology consistent with use of Applied Behavior Analysis (behavioral intervention

research)

– Re‐organization of topic areas

• General Autism Competencies
• Environmental Structure and Visual Supports Competencies
• Comprehensive Instructional Programming Competencies
• Communication Competencies
• Social Skill Competencies
• Behavioral Competencies
• Sensory Motor Development Competencies
• Independence and Aptitude Competencies

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Accomplished to Date: Technical Assistance and Training

• VDOE Staff

– Presented at 20 conferences/workshops on ASD – Attended all The Advisory Council for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (TACIDD) meetings – Participated in all Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (BHDS) Early Childhood planning meetings – Participated in State Employment Leadership Network(SELN) meetings – Participated in all VAC leadership meetings – Developed new grant initiatives – Assisted in the development of resource materials

• T/TAC Online:(www.ttaconline.org)

– 68 ASD curriculum materials or resource links added to website since 12/15/2009 – 8 ASD online training modules added

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Training and Technical Assistance Centers (T/TAC)

• Autism State Directed Project

– Regional Technical Assistance

• Respond to regional specific technical assistance needs

– Autism Specialists Network

• Professional Development opportunities for ASD specialists from school divisions, private programs

and regional programs

• Two new meetings conducted since 12/15/2009

– National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on Autism Spectrum Disorders Grant with Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute

• Promotion of the use of evidence based practices with children with autism
• Model Sites

– Working with professionals and staff at local level to identify, implement and evaluate use of evidence based practices for student with autism (on the ground implementation) – Richmond City (Virginia Commonwealth University TTAC), Wise County (Virginia Tech TTAC), Loudoun County (George Mason TTAC) – Expansion Sites 2011‐2012 (Old Dominion University TTAC and James Madison University TTAC)

– Collaboration with additional stakeholders

• Commonwealth Autism Service

– Providing funding for Annual Conference including parent scholarships

• Autism Community of Practice

– Early Intervention researchers and practitioners – Develop community based resources

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In Progress

• Model IEP resources for students with ASD
• Expanded grant funding for Project SEARCH

– Two new model sites being funded

• Norfolk and Montgomery County

– Continuation of funding for Richmond City Public Schools’ Model

• Development of post‐high school models

– Developing community college options and models for young adults with ASD

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Future Directions

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Autism Center of Excellence at Virginia Commonwealth University

• VDOE Grant to VCU Rehabilitation Resource Center (RRTC)

– $1.3 million dollar grant – Goal: Develop a premier technical assistance, professional development and educational research center for Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Commonwealth of Virginia – Expand on success of the Virginia Autism Resource Center (VARC)

Major Functions

• Professional Development

– Develop and implement a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) training program – 40 professionals/year beginning Fall 2011 – Instructional Competencies for Teachers for ASD Certificate Programs

• ffered by universities throughout the Commonwealth

– Specialized training for paraprofessionals and administrators – Distance education training activities, including on‐line certification program

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Center of Excellence

• Major Functions (Continued)

– Technical Assistance

• Cadre of regional technical assistance experts(certified

in ABA) to assist in meeting on‐site needs of school divisions, schools, and classrooms

• Internships and audio conferences
• Assist in the development of a statewide system for

initial and periodic assessment of public school students (age 2‐22 years)

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Center of Excellence

Major Functions (Continued)

• Research

– Identification and demonstration of evidence‐based practices for the education of students with ASD that can be replicated throughout the Commonwealth – Demonstration classrooms – Evaluate outcomes of model transition programs in post‐ secondary settings – Evaluate innovative approaches to using Assistive Technology to enhance educational and employment skills

• f individuals with ASD

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